Mirror Man
by britterfli
Summary: Now she doesn't know what to expect. It's different every day. A different outfit, expression, mood, you name it. He is trapped in that mirror every day, like a caged animal, waiting impatiently to be free. Maybe he's been living inside his whole life, with no one to save him. No one to care. He is unwanted. But that fact can change in a matter of time… AU, no zombies.
1. Chapter 1

Mirror Man: Chapter One

_Now she doesn't know what to expect. It's different every day. A different outfit, expression, mood, you name it. He is trapped in that mirror every day, like a caged animal, waiting impatiently to be free. Maybe he's been living inside his whole life, with no one to save him. No one to care. He is unwanted. But that fact can change in a matter of time…_

Carol Peletier awakes in an empty and cold bed. She is alone, has been for a few years, but the fact doesn't bother her. She doesn't mind. She figures she is better this way, anyway. Her husband would be brash and abusive, inebriated all the time. He died in a car crash, and unfortunately, Sophia was in the same vehicle at the time. Sophia was a good daughter- innocent, sweet, caring, kind- everything a mother could hope for. Now that she's gone, all sources of happiness and light are gone.

Carol drags herself out of bed, her feet making contact with the old, dry carpet. She shivers as a sudden chill sweeps through the room. She may live in Georgia, but the heater in her house isn't the greatest. Grabbing a pair of slippers and her blanket, she makes her way downstairs. Inspecting the broken heater for the millionth time that week, she emits a heavy sigh. She knows she won't be able to afford to get it fixed for a while. Money is difficult to earn, especially with her low-paying and dull job of waiting tables at a local diner. But her good friend Maggie worked there too, so it wasn't so bad. And their close friend Rick would be a regular customer, usually bringing along his wife Lori and their handsome son Carl. So, it wasn't as bad as thought up to be.

With a powerful yawn, Carol trudges to the kitchen to fix breakfast. Grabbing a day old bagel and a fresh banana, she sits in her chair and eats slowly while looking out the window. The weather is dreary and dull today- dark clouds and occasional drizzles of rain. Just the sign of another day.

Carol finishes her breakfast and heads back to her bedroom to change into her work uniform. Technically, you could wear anything to Walker's Diner, as long as if the clothing was cleavage free and wasn't too casual or comfortable. What a wacky dress code. After rummaging through her tight closet and neat drawers, she finally settled on a pair of jeans, light washed blue, and a nice, cream colored blouse with ruffled sleeves. The woman then hurried to the bathroom to apply a light layer of makeup and fix her short hair. That was when she first saw him.

A man, an actual man, was inside in her mirror, sitting down with his head hanging down. The expression on his face looked angry, or sad, one couldn't tell. His brown hair was long and covering his eyes, it seemed. He looked rather rough around the edges. Carol's breath caught in her throat and her stomach did a somersault. _Is this even possible? How is this possible? Am I dreaming? _These were the questions running through her mind like a wild gazelles.

Timidly, she raised her right hand, placing it on the mirror. Her fingers traced the tiny but visible cracks in the sides. She tried to reach him, to touch him, but it was no use. He was too far, secluding himself in the dark corner of the unlit bathroom. Expect he wasn't in the bathroom.

Carol stepped away, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. And with that, she rushed out, taking her makeup and hairbrush with her. _I'll tidy up in the car. _She thought nervously, grabbing her car keys quickly. Revving up the engine, she felt her heartbeat again. It seemed to be calming down a little. Every little bit counts, she assumed.

Carol began to drive to work with a growing pain in her chest. It was gnawing away at her insides, wearing her down, and she didn't know why. Sure, she was terrified. But she also felt sorry for the mysterious man. The woman repeatedly told herself that she wouldn't tell anyone about this. At all costs.

**AN: Short first chapter, I know. How do you like it so far? The world needs more Caryl. I need more Caryl in my life, and you deserve some, too. Let me know what you think so far. I will update when next possible.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

After a few minutes of nervous driving, Carol arrived at the diner. Crawling out of the car, she received a sudden hug. "Hey! Ready for work?" The hugger asked, her familiar and southern voice booming in her friend's ear.

"Hey, Maggie." Carol mumbled into the younger girl's hair. They pulled away and started to walk into their work place, the crisp early morning wind blowing at them along the way.

Hershel Greene smiled and waved to his employees as they walked in. The bells on the door chimed, signaling the entrance. Everybody loves Hershel. Widely known as the manager of Walker's Diner and proud father to Maggie and Beth, Hershel is a beacon of hope for his family and his business.

"How are you today, Carol?" He asked, arms out wide and welcoming. The said woman gave her manager a smile and a quick hug.

"Tired." Was her reply.

She strode over to the sink to clean any remaining plates or silverware. While picking up a dirty rag, the thought from earlier that morning replayed in her head. The mysterious man in the mirror, his head bowed and eyes narrowed. Carol gasped and dropped the rag, flinching as it plopped heavily on the floor. Her heart began to hammer inside her chest again, like a pounding drum, ready to explode with noise. Her knees buckled and gave out, and her body crumpled to the floor like a withering flower. Trying to breathe normally, she inhaled and exhaled painfully, and hoped no one would see her. Luckily, someone did.

"Carol? Are you okay? Answer me!" A recognizable voice exclaimed. Glenn Rhee came bounding over like a wild animal on the run from its prey, stopping in his tracks to comfort his friend. "Are you okay?" He repeated, holding the rag to her forehead, not giving a damn if it was used. Carol forced an okay nod, and the young Korean sighed in relief.

"Thank God. Shit, I was so scared. I thought you were having a seizure or something." He explained, wincing at his choice of words. Carol had to surpass a snort. It was very unlikely for Glenn to swear, he only did so in terms of extreme fear. And this event was defiantly one of those terms.

"I'm okay. It's just still early in the morning, and I haven't had my coffee." Carol assured him, even forcing a smile to exaggerate. He offered his hand, and she took it and was easily pulled up to her feet.

"Do you want me to buy you a coffee? Or make you one?" Glenn asked. Carol shook her head no. The boy could be too kind at times.

"You don't have to, really, it's fine. I'm fine." She retorted. Glenn nodded and walked away, probably to find Maggie. Carol brushed off her pants and exhaled deeply. Maybe this was all in her imagination, only there to taunt and scare her. Who knew.

The door chimed as the Grimes family walked in. They were normal customers to the diner, and would usually come once every week, sometimes more. They would bring Rick's best friend Shane every once in a while, the guy everyone had nasty rumors about. Carol heard that he banged Lori and got her pregnant with Judith, but that rumor was yet to be stated true or false.

Rick waved hello to the staff with his free hand, for the other one was interlocked with his wife's. A heavily pregnant Lori smiled, and Carl casually walked along his mother's side.

"Good to see you! And early as usual!" Hershel addressed, extending a hand for the small family to shake. Carol let her mind wander off for a moment; she needed a little break from the world. She closed her eyes and dozed off for a minute.

She awoke from her short slumber with a jolt as the diner's doors burst open, revealing a nearly bald man with hate burning in his eyes.

"My name's Murrell Dixon." He growled, spitting on the clean floor. "And my little brother's been missing for weeks."

**AN: Oooooh. This story is going to pick up real fast now, I promise. I will update whenever I can. And thanks for the support so far, it really means a lot. Stay tuned.**


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